Kanye West agrees to buy social media platform Parler, company says
Rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, has agreed to purchase social media platform Parler, the network’s parent company said Monday.
According to The New York Times and The Associated Press, Parlement Technologies announced in a news release that it “has entered into an agreement in principle” to sell Parler, which has gained popularity with right-wing audiences, to Ye in a deal expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2022.
“The terms of the proposed transaction would include ongoing technical support from Parlement and the use of private cloud services via Parlement’s private cloud and data center infrastructure,” said the release, which did not reveal any further details about the agreement.
The news comes a week after Ye’s Instagram and Twitter accounts were locked after the “Stronger” rapper posted antisemitic comments, the news outlets reported.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” Ye, 45, said in a statement about the Parler deal.
Apple and Google removed Parler from their app stores after the events of Jan. 6, 2021, alleging the social media site didn’t properly moderate its users’ posts, according to the AP and the Times. Parler returned to the Apple app store in April 2021 and to Google Play last month, the news outlets reported.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Here are some memorable moments from rapper Kanye West’s life in the public eye.
2002: Roca-Wear and Roc-A-Fella Records CEO Damon Dash (left) and rap artist Kanye West arrive for a party promoting Dash’s clothing line August 15, 2002, in New York City.
2003: Issac Hayes (left) and Kanye West attend the Artist Empowerment Coalition’s Grammy Sunday Brunch February 23, 2003, at the New York Hilton Hotel in New York City.
2004: Kanye West and his mother attend the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards at the American Airlines Arena on August 29, 2004, in Miami.
2005: Kanye West poses backstage with his awards for "Best Rap Album," "Best Rap Song" and "Best R&B Song" during the 47th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on February 13, 2005, in Los Angeles.
2006: Singer Kanye West and his bikini-clad entourage arrive at The Brit Awards 2006 with MasterCard at Earls Court 1 on February 15, 2006, in London.
2007: Rappers 50 Cent, Kanye West, P. Diddy and Jay-Z perform onstage during Screamfest ’07 at Madison Square Garden on August 22, 2007, in New York City.
2008: R&B musician Kanye West performs on stage at the Melbourne stop of the Good Vibrations Festival 2008 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on February 9, 2008, in Melbourne, Australia.
2009: Kanye West (left) jumps onstage after Taylor Swift (center) won the "Best Female Video" award during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009, in New York City.
2010: Kanye West and Amber Rose attend the Givenchy Fashion Show during Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture S/S 2010 on January 26, 2010, in Paris.
2011: Kanye West performs during the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at the Lexington Avenue Armory on November 9, 2011, in New York City.
2012: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West talk from their courtside seats before the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets in Game Seven of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2012, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
2013: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the Costume Institute Gala for the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2013, in New York City.
2014: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014, in New York City.
2015: Recording artists Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Kanye West and TV personality Kim Kardashian attend the 57th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on February 8, 2015, in Los Angeles.
2016: Kanye West and Kris Jenner attend the Givenchy show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2016/2017 on March 6, 2016, in Paris.
2016: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016, in New York City.
2018: U.S. President Donald Trump hugs rapper Kanye West during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on October 11, 2018, in Washington, D.C.
2019: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019, in New York City.
2020: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California.
2021: Kanye West is seen at the "DONDA by Kanye West" listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021, in Atlanta.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Kanye West speaks onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET)
